that dark cave; yet it had a familiar tone. So surprising was the
situation, that I could only stare into the black void, speechless. It
was Burns who realized the need of action.

"Whoever the dern fool is," he growled, his voice hoarse with anger,
"choke the wind out of him, or his blame howling will bring every Injun
on the river yere!"

"De Croix!" I exclaimed quickly, aroused to recollection by the
seriousness of the situation, "stop that infernal racket, or the two of
us will throttle you!"

He puffed and gurgled, striving his best to smother the sense of
ludicrousness that mastered him. To me there was small cause for
merriment; the supreme terror of those moments merged into hot anger at
the deception, and I crept forward eager to plant my hand upon the
rascal's throat.

"What French mockery is this?" I exclaimed, my hand hard upon his arm.
"Think you, Captain de Croix, that you can play such tricks in this
wilderness, and not be made to pay for them?"

I felt him tremble under my fierce grasp; yet it was not from fear, for
my words only served to loosen his laughter once more. Burns now broke
in, shoving the barrel of his long rifle forward over my shoulder till
he struck the Frenchman a blow that effectually silenced him.

"You chattering ape!" he said, growling like an angry bear, "another
yawp like that, and I 'll blow a hole clean through you! Now, you
French ninny, tell us what this means, an' be quick about it if ye want
ter save yer hide!"

De Croix did not answer, but he ceased to laugh, and panted as if the
breath had been knocked out of him. Another impatient movement by
Burns led me to speak up hastily in his defence.

"Wait," I said, laying my grasp upon his gun, "he has no breath left
with which to make reply. 'T is the French gallant who raced with me,
the same whom you met at Hawkins's Ford; and no doubt he felt good
reason to play the ghost here in this dark pit."

"Ay," panted De Croix painfully, "I truly thought the savages were upon
me, and sought to frighten them by the only means I could devise.
_Sacre_! but you hit me a sore blow in the ribs! If I have frightened
you, 't was no worse than the terror that took me at your entrance
here."

For a time none spoke, and no sound, save De Croix's labored breathing,
broke the silence. Burns had turned slightly, and I knew was listening
intently for any sound without. Apparently satisfied that the noise
made by us had not be